Hamlet when is it set

Remember, Hamlet was written between and For starters, there are several allusions to the Protestant Reformation, which wasn't initiated until around , when Martin Luther laid out his beef with the Catholic Church in his Ninety-five Theses. Denmark like England was a Protestant nation at the time Shakespeare wrote the play and Hamlet seems to be the quintessential Protestant kid —he goes to school in Wittenberg, Germany where Martin Luther hung out and he's also skeptical of the Ghost, who claims to be his father's Purgatorial spirit.

Protestants rejected the notion of Purgatory as mere "superstition" —you can read more about this in our discussion of " Religion. There's also a whole lot of play-acting in Hamlet, including a performance of The Murder of Gonzago , which is put on by a troop of traveling players actors who drop by the castle to put on a little show.

That's just the kind of thing that would have gone down in Elizabethan England. Be sure to check out " Art and Culture " for more on this.

We should also point out that contemporary directors of stage and film versions of Hamlet have set the play in places and periods ranging from Elizabethan England to nineteenth century Europe to twenty-first century New York City , where Gertrude and Claudius run a high-powered New York corporation and the ghost of Old Hamlet appears on security televisions in the company's offices.

The fact that this setting somehow works is a testament to the universality and relevance of the play's themes. Then, of course, there's the fact that the whole thing takes place at Denmark's royal court. The dynamic is high-powered and manipulative, like—well, a lot like a high-powered corporation.

He feels trapped by his duty to his father and his duty as a member of the Danish royal family, so his story is confined behind the battlements of the Danish royal fortress. Elsinore is a place with many private spaces. Hamlet is often alone when he delivers his soliloquys. Claudius prays in a private chapel. Polonius spies on Hamlet while he talks to Ophelia. Ace your assignments with our guide to Hamlet!

Animal Farm Dr. Jekyll and Mr. SparkTeach Teacher's Handbook. Is the Ghost real? Setting, Atmosphere, Mood in Hamlet. Find out More. Related Posts Madness in Hamlet In Hamlet, by Shakespeare, the theme of madness is a prevalent theme that is portrayed…. Corruption in Hamlet For the purpose of this assignment, corruption is defined as dishonesty or improper behavior, by….

What is Setting? The setting of a story is the time and place in which the events occur. Newest Oldest Most Voted. Inline Feedbacks. Help us feed and clothe children with your old homework! It takes seconds!